We may offer advice to others about doubtful things, but should never judge them. Therefore, whatever we do, we do it to the Lord because Jesus is our Lord (that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living). Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. (1.) It denotes an utter destruction. We shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, 2 Cor 5 10. If we would know what way we walk in, we must enquire what end we walk towards. 1. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point Several kinds of meat were forbidden to the Jews, that in that, as in other things, they might be a peculiar and separate people, Lev 11 44; Deut 14 2, 3. This is true Christianity, which makes Christ all in all. They were not well instructed touching the cancelling of the ceremonial law by the death of Christ, and therefore retained the ceremonial institutions, and practised accordingly; while other Christians that understood themselves better, and knew their Christian liberty, made no such difference. I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsman End every tongue shall confess to God.. They may be malnourished (by lack of good teaching). 14 23) that it were evil to ask his father's blessing, that mispersuasion would make it become evil to him: but, if he should be as verily persuaded that it were good to curse his father, this would not make it become good. b. If a thing be indifferent, so that it is not in itself a sin not to do it, if we really think it a sin to do it it is to us a sin, though not to others, because we act against our consciences, though mistaken and misinformed. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. In reference to spiritual difficulties and dangers (our own and others), much of our hope and comfort are grounded upon the divine power, 1 Pet 1 5; Jude 24. This is a thing in which all the people of God are one, however they differ in other things; though some are weak and others are strong, yet both agree in this, not to live to themselves. Given to hospitality. Romans 13 He preached in the same church as C. H. Spurgeon over one hundred years earlier. Individual instructors or editors may still require the use of URLs. Nor must we act against the dictates of a doubting conscience. On the other hand, another, who is weak, is dissatisfied in this point, is not clear in his Christian liberty, but rather inclines to think that the meats forbidden by the law remain still unclean; and therefore, to keep at a distance from them, he will eat no flesh at all, but eateth herbs, contenting himself with only the fruits of the earth. Your partnership makes all we do possible. None know but those that experience it how great both the restraining and the constraining power of conscience is. Romans 14 - God Likes it When We Think About Others A. Don't judge each other in doubtful things. See 1 Cor 1 10; Phil 3 15, 16. Those who were strong, and knew their Christian liberty, and made use of it, despised the weak, who did not. For the further pressing of this rule, we may here observe two directions which have relation to it:First, Let not then your good be evil spoken of (v. 16)take heed of doing any thing which may give occasion to others to speak evil, either of the Christian religion in general, or of your Christian liberty in particular. Nor will it be asked, "Who was conformist and who was non-conformist?" There might be other similar occasions of difference, while these made the most noise, and were most taken notice of. Pentateuch Or why do you show contempt for your brother? Every time you hear a sermon, if it be such a sermon as God would have us preach, it pleads with you to turn unto the Lord and live." (Spurgeon) c. Not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance: Many people misunderstand the goodness of God towards the wicked. "If thy weak brother, purely by thy example and influence, without any satisfaction received concerning his Christian liberty, be drawn to act against his conscience and to walk contrary to the light he has, and so to contract guilt upon his soul, though the thing were lawful to thee, yet not being so to him (he having not yet thereto attained), thou art to be blamed for giving the occasion." John 14:19 . Consider the design of Christ's death: Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died, v. 15. Those are most pleasing to God that are best pleased with him; and they are those that abound most in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point "Romans 16:24 [4.] THIS passage is a piece of holy teaching set forth under the parable of rising in the morning and preparing for the work of the day. A believing regard to the judgment of the great day would silence all these rash judgings: Why dost thou that art weak judge thy brother that is strong? The doctrines of the book are considered and discussed under four main propositions: (1) All men are guilty before God (Jews and Gentiles alike). a. As to our brethren, it is peaceto live in peace and love, and charity with them, following peace with all men: Christ came into the world to be the great peace-maker. Though it be but a little folly, it may be like a dead fly, very prejudicial to one that is in reputation for wisdom and honour, Eccl 10 1. But whatever we do, we must be able to do it to the Lord, not using conscience as an excuse for obviously sinful behavior. Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. (3.) If we are troubled by something, it likely isnt of faith and likely is sin for us. The matter is left at large. Whereas they should have pitied them, and helped them, and afforded them meek and friendly instruction, they trampled upon them as silly, and humoursome, and superstitious, for scrupling those things which they knew to be lawful: so apt are those who have knowledge to be puffed up with it, and to look disdainfully and scornfully upon their brethren. They stand or fall before their own Master, God and God is able to make those meat eaters stand. Blue Letter Bible offers several daily devotional readings in order to help you refocus on Christ and the Gospel of His peace and righteousness. 4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? 4. This does not take away the need and the responsibility for admonishment (Romans 15:14) or rebuke (2 Timothy 4:2). Now in this chapter we are furnished with the sovereign balm of Gilead; the blessed apostle prescribes like a wise physician. 8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. Undoubtedly these weak ones did not see themselves as weaker. Christ is the centre, in which all the lines of life and death do meet. Recognizing the value of consistent reflection upon the Word of God in order to refocus one's mind and heart upon Christ and His Gospel of peace, we provide several reading plans designed to cover the entire Bible in a year. But here is a caution he gives to those who had not that clearness in this matter which he had: To him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, though it be his error, yet to him it is unclean. b. Because both the one and the other, if they be true believers, and are right in the main, have an eye to God, and do approve themselves to God in what they do, v. 6. If this is the case, we should let God deal with our brother. At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son. Next to our compliance with God, the life of religion consists in our complacency in him; to delight ourselves always in the Lord. Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in mine heart. Paul isnt telling these Christians to erase their differences; he tells them to rise above them as Christian brothers and sisters. (Romans 14:14-15) Destroying a brother makes a privilege wrong. Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. The Argument from Contingency: A Proof for God, 6 Verses to Cling to When You Are Overwhelmed. Though bodily exercise alone profits little, yet, as it is guided by inward fear and reverence, it is accepted. The judgment seat of Christ is only concerned with a Christians rewards and position in the kingdom, not with his salvation. (Smith). Why so? Good praying, preaching, and discourse, may often, for want of prudence in ordering the time, the expression, and other circumstances to edification, be evil spoken of. (Romans 14:22-23) The concluding principle of faith. The advantages of it. Its likely they thought they were the strong ones, and the meat-eaters were the weak ones. The judgment seat of Christ: This is the bema seat, equivalent to the judges seat in the Olympic Games. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. The case was this: The members of the Christian church at Rome were some of them originally Gentiles, and others of them Jews. (5.) 16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Perhaps they refused it because they feared it was meat sacrificed to a pagan god (as in 1 Corinthians 8). We find Jews at Rome believing, Acts 28 24. _There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit._ No condemnation: that is the beginning of the chapter. "Why then is not the hurt of the daughter of my people recovered," but because his directions are not followed? On the other hand, he that regards not the daythat does not make a difference between one day and another, does not call one day holy and another profane, one day lucky and another unlucky, but esteems every day alikehe does not do it out of a spirit of opposition, contradiction, or contempt of his brother. I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. The beginning of sin is as the letting forth of water; we are not sure that it will stop any where on this side of eternal destruction. Prophets The end of such knowledge is that, being satisfied in our liberty, we may have a conscience void of offence towards God, and let that content us. He specifies the case in hand, concerning the difference of meats. a. He argues against both these jointly: we must not despise nor judge our brethren. It is true we cannot hinder loose and ungoverned tongues from speaking evil of us, and of the best things we have; but we must not (if we can help it) give them any occasion to do it. We should distinguish between someone who is weak and someone who is rebellious. 13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. Major Prophets Those are right indeed that are so in God's sight. They judged them as breakers of the law, contemners of God's ordinance, and the like. Nothing more destructive to true Christianity than placing it in modes, and forms, and circumstantials, which eat out the essentials. i. How Can We All Use Our Creative Talents to Glorify God? Every knee and every tongue, either freely or by force. "Nay, God doth not only receive him, but hold him up, v. 4. Smith, Chuck "The Gospel According to Grace" (Costa Mesa, California: The Word for Today, 1981), Trapp, John "A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments" Volume 5 (Matthew to Revelation) (Eureka, California: Tanski Publications, 1997). Because they are servants to their own master (v. 4): Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? This is to be extended to all such indifferent things whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, is involved either in sin or in trouble: or is made weakhis graces weakened, his comforts weakened, his resolutions weakened. If God now accepts thy works, thou mayest eat thy bread with joy. Nay, and thou mayest utterly destroy some whose profession may be so justifiable that thou art bound to believe, in a judgment of charity, that Christ died for them. First, The work of grace and peace is the work of God; it is wrought by him, it is wrought for him; it is a good work of his beginning, Phil 1 6. Brethren, my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might he saved. All his foes shall be constrained to do it, whether they will or no. To the same purport (v. 21) he recommends it to our care not to give offence to any one by the use of lawful things: It is good neither to eat flesh nor to drink wine; these are things lawful indeed and comfortable, but not necessary to the support of human life, and therefore we may, and must, deny ourselves in them, rather than give offence. Of grief to our brother, "One that is weak, and thinks it unlawful to eat such and such meats, will be greatly troubled to see thee eat them, out of a concern for the honour of the law which he thinks forbids them, and for the good of thy soul which he thinks is wronged by them, especially when thou dost it wilfully and with a seeming presumption, and not with that tenderness and that care to give satisfaction to thy weak brother which would become thee." Shall we despise those whom Christ valued at so high a rate? Site by Mere. (3) Christ died for all men. Here is a proof of Christ's Godhead: he is the Lord and he is God, equal with the Father. To his own master he stands or falls. The Jewish religion consisted much in meats and drinks (Heb 9 10), abstaining from some meats religiously (Lev 11 2), eating other meats religiously, as in several of the sacrifices, part of which were to be eaten before the Lord: but all those appointments are now abolished and are no more, Col 2 21, 22. Of a mistaken conscience, v. 14. He is Lord of those that are living to rule them, of those that are dead to receive them and raise them up. Christ is the gain we aim at, living and dying. On the other hand, he that eatest not those meats which were forbidden by the ceremonial law, to the Lord he eateth not. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth, 1 Cor 8 1-3. Major Prophets He has the love and favour of God; his person, his performances, are accepted of God, and we need no more to make us happy. Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. Compare Gal 6 4, Let every man prove his own work, that is, bring it to the touchstone of the word and try it by that so exactly as to be well satisfied in what he does; and then he shall have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. a. When he shall come in the clouds, and every eye shall see him, then, and not till then, will all those promises which speak of his victories over his enemies and their subjection to him have their full and complete accomplishment; then his foes shall be his footstool, and all his enemies shall lick the dust. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. Romans viii. 14. It may not be that the thing itself is clearly good or bad, but it is enough that God speaks to us about the matter. Wisdom Literature After each game, the winners came before the judges seat to receive crowns for first, second, and third places. Of guilt to our brother. Is made weak, that is, takes occasion to show his weakness by his censures and scruples. The Old Testament Prophets We must take heed of saying or doing any thing which may occasion our brother to stumble or fall; the one signifies a less, the other a greater degree of mischief and offencethat which may be an occasion. Romans 14, Spurgeon's Verse Expositions of the Bible, One of over 125 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary is from the most widely read and often quoted preacher in history, Charles Haddon Spurgeon Error: Passwords should have at least 6 characters, Error: Usernames should only contain letters, numbers, dots, dashes, or underscores. The nature of true Christianity, what it is: it is here called, The kingdom of God; it is a religion intended to rule us, a kingdom: it stands in a true and hearty subjection to God's power and dominion. May the Holy Spirit help me to place it before you in a clear light. As the particular end specifies the action, so the general scope and tendency specify the state. I QUESTION whether any man understands himself, and I am quite certain that no Christian does so. The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord, and it is a dangerous thing to debauch and put a force upon conscience, though it be under a mistake. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point Historical Books In these indifferent things, though we must never contradict our persuasion, yet we may sometimes conceal it, when the avowing of it will do more hurt than good. Usernames should only contain letters, numbers, dots, dashes, or underscores. A strong emphasis in Spurgeon's preaching was God's grace and sovereignty over man's helpless state. Thus, while both have an eye to God in what they do, and approve themselves to him in their integrity, why should either of them be judged or despised? It must be understood likewise with this proviso, though men's judgments and opinions may make that which is good in itself to become evil to them, yet they cannot make that which is evil in itself to become good, either in itself or to them. This was Paul's own clearness, and he practised accordingly. The world's eye saw the outside of Christ the flesh of the man Christ, but the true Christ the ungodly eye could not discern. Pauline Epistles Now those that had been Jews were trained up in the observance of the ceremonial appointments touching meats and days. 1. So, as to other things, it is neither circumcision nor uncircumcision (Gal 5 6; 6 15; 1 Cor 7 19), it is not being of this party and persuasion, of this or the other opinion in minor things, that will recommend us to God. He that regards the daythat makes conscience of the observance of the Jewish fasts and festivals, not imposing it upon others, nor laying a stress upon it, but willing to be as he thinks on the surer side, as thinking there is no harm in resting from worldly labours, and worshipping God on those daysit is well. Where he cannot be beneficent he is benevolent. a. I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself: Paul knew that there was nothing intrinsically unclean about meat that was not kosher or sacrificed to an idol. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. But this would not serve any more than Paul's erroneous conscience would justify his rage against Christianity (Acts 26 9), or theirs, John 16 2. Sin had brought a curse upon the whole creation: Cursed is the ground for thy sake; the use of the creatures and dominion over them were forfeited, so that to man they were all unclean (Tit 1 15), in token of which God in the ceremonial law prohibited the use of some, to show what he might have done concerning all; but now that Christ has removed the curse the matter is set at large again, and that prohibition is taken away. [1.] Those who are strong must by no means despise the weak; nor those who are weak judge the strong, v. 3. The apostle Paul knew the mysteries of the kingdom of God as well as ever any man; yet he confesses himself at a loss; and despairing to find the bottom, he humbly sits down at the brink, and adores the depth. He is happy that has peace and quietness within, for the testimony of conscience will be a special cordial in troublesome times. In judging and censuring our brethren, we meddle with that which does not belong to us: we have work enough to do at home; and, if we must needs be judging, let us exercise our faculty upon our own hearts and ways.To his own master he stands or falls; that is, his doom will be according to his master's sentence, and not according to ours. Every knee shall bow: The quotation from Isaiah 45:23 emphasizes the fact that all will have to appear before God in humility, and give account of himself before God. 4. Well, this was the disease, and we see it remaining in the church to this day; the like differences, in like manner mismanaged, are still the disturbers of the church's peace. I. This hope is built upon the power of God, for God is able to make him stand; and, being able, no doubt he is willing to exert that power for the preservation of those that are his own." I am quite certain that no Christian does so all use our Creative Talents Glorify! 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